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@sintiera tetes atrnt @fitta SPENCER M. CLARK, OF WASHINGTON, DlSTt-ICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR Y TO JOHN Q. LARMAN.

Letters Patent llTo. 64,197, dated April 30, 1867.

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TO ALL VHOM 1T MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, SPENCER M. CLARK, of \Vashington,. in the county of`Washington, and District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Machinery for Punching Faper; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accom'-` panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents au isometrical perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention; and" Figures 2, 3, and 4 sectional views of the punching apparatus.

Great diieult-y hasheretofore been experienced in punching paper on account of the tendency of the paper, owing to its limberness, to gather or buckle around the punch, not only preventing the formation of a clean cut hole, but making it ditlicult to withdraw the punch from the paper after the hole has been formed. lVhere many thicknesses or folds of paper are placed under the punch, as, for instance, a bundle of bank bills or notes which are to be cancelled, these effects become still more apparent, the action of the machine being impeded and the punch itself clogged by the gathering or buckling of the paper. Hence all attempts at punching paper by machinery have heretofore proved abortive, owing to want of means to overcome these ditiiculties. I

The object ot' my invention is to obviate these defects, and to do this, instead of punching the paper when uncompressed, I combine with the punch, a clamp, so arranged that simultaneously with the operation of punching I aux enabled t'o clamp or compress the paper so as to make it in some measure unyielding, and by applying this pressure around and on all sides of that portion of the paper which is cut bythe punch, I not only prevent the buckling or gathering of thepaper, but also any ditlculty which might otherwise be experienced .in withdrawing the punch from the hole it has formed.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1 will now proceed to describe the mani;

ner in which it may be constructed and operated by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The frame M for supporting the punching apparatus may be of any ordinary or suitable construction. On

top of this frame is the dic-plate H and the goose-neck N, which extends from the rear of the frame, and has attached to its outer or front end a collar or sleeve, E, in which slides the punching apparatus about to be described. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section ot' this apparatus; fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same; and tig.' 4 is a section on line :r cv, fig. 2. The apparatus consists essentially of a punch or series ot' punches, A, secured in and,surrounded by a clamp, C, which slides in the sleeve E, the clamp and punches'being actuated directly by means of a lever, K, Yhung in brackets on top of the goose-neck N, and worked by means of a treadle formed on its lower end. The clamp C is hollow and of any suitable form to contain the punches A. It is open at both ends, and has earsf formed at its upper end diametrically opposite each other` Around its lower end is atlange, c. In andkto this lower end is fitted a face-plate, c, in the bottom' of which small holes b are formed, corresponding to the openings in the die-plate, and through which project, when actuated by the lever, the punches A. This face-plate has formed around its bottom a tlange which rests against the flange c of the clamp (l A little above its bottom it is recessed so as to form suitable openings in which the shanks of the punches A may slide for `the purpose hereinafter explained. The upper end'of the clamp C is provided with ears f, in which are held by their heads the bolts F whose upperiends pass through ears formed on the extremities of the axle G. These bolts have a screw-thread formed on their upper ends, Y

and are provided with nuts, whereby they may be adjusted and held firmly in position, as hereafter described. To the axleG to which the clamp C is thus attached is immoyably secured the cross-'head D, carrying the punches fitting in the upper end of the clamp. This cross-head, as hereinafter explained, is capable cf a limited' sliding up-anddownfmotion in the clamp when actuated by the pressure of the lever K. In its under side the punches A are secured and firmly held in place. Each punch is formed of a shank, A, secured in a mortise in the cross-head D, of'greater diameter than the punch proper a, whose upper end, of a conical shape, `is secured in a corresponding mortise in the shank A, as shown inthe drawings. The shanks are of such diameter that they will tit in the interior recesses formed in the clamp-plate L', as above explained, while the punches ait likewise in the corresponding holes b in the bottom of the clamp. Around the shank A are placedv the spiral springs B,

the lower end of the springs resting -on the top of the plate n, and the upper ends pressing 'against the v under side of the sliding cross-head D. In consequence of this arrangement, thc pressure of the `.springs B against the sliding Cross-head D will cause the latter, together with the punches attached to it, to bc forced upward until held by the nuts on the ends of the bolts F, which prevent the further upward movement of the shaft G. It will thus he seen that the pressure of the springs .L can be adjusted and regulated by means of the nuts on the rods F, so that the punches may be Withdrawn to any desired distance Within the clamp. Instead of the springs B placed within the clamp, the spiral springsg ou the rodsF may be employed with equally good results, or the two sets of springs B andy may be used in conjunction, or instead of the spring or springs, weights may be used, it being immaterial what means are employed provided that a haelt pressure may be obtained, which, when the pressure of the lever is removed, shall cause the clamp and punches to bewithdrawn automatically from the papel'. To the axle G, to which the frame Dis secured, is jointed the lever K, as shown in the drawings. i

In opera-ting the machine, when the lever K is actuated by means of the treadle L, that end of the lever hinged on thesame shaft G, to which the punchingr apparatus is attached, is forced downward, carrying with it the punching apparatus which slides in the sleeve E until the bottom ofthe clamp C is pressed upon the paper which has been placed on the die-plate H immediately under the punch. The pressure on the treadlc being con- Vtinued, the clamp compresses the paper tightly while the punches now begin to work, being forced out of the clamp and into aud through the paper, which, as it is compressed and clamped on all sides of the punches by kthe pressure of the clamp C, is comparatlvely unyielding, and therefore unable to buckle round the punches and otherwise impede the working of the apparatus. After the holes have been formed or cut the lpressure on the lever is removed, when the punches and clamp are withdrawn automatically by the action of the springs B and y. The punches are made to work accurately by the arrangement above indicated, the upper Vend of the Shanks A being mortised in the frame D, and the lower ends being guided and supported in therecesses in the clamp-plate. Each punch is thus steadied and made to operate with entire accuracy. It dill also be seen, by the peculiar mode of securing thc punches within the clamp, that the paper to be'operatcd on is first compressed by the clamp before being punched, although both the clamp and punches are actuated by one and the same pressure, the same power being brought to bear in pressing the vclamp on the paper that is exerted in order to force the punches through it. I would further remark: that the punches by any ordinary or suitable means may be arranged so as to beV easily removed from or attached to the slidinfr cross-head D, and thus admit of the employment of. punches of different sizes and shapes, as occasion may require. In this event the face-platee of the clamp must also be made removable, so that one platevmay be substituted for another according to the size or form of the punches employed.

Having thus described my Iinvention, I claim- 1. The combination, with the punches and surrounding clamps and the springs, of the screw-bolts and rods for adjusting the tension of said springs, and for effecting the combined movement of the clamp and punches, substantially in the manner herein specified. v

2. The combination, with the clamp and connecting serew-rods or bolts, of the sliding cross-head, punches, and surrounding springs, under the arrangement and for'operatiou as herein set forth and described.

Y In testimony WhcreofI have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

S. M. CLARK( llfvitriesses:

L.,B. ALLYX, W. H. JENNER. 

